UAVs are aerial vehicles that do not carry a human operator and use aerodynamic forces to provide vehicle lift. UAVs can have a wide variety of shapes, sizes, configurations, and characteristics. UAVs can fly autonomously or can be piloted remotely. For example, using known communications systems, UAVs can be controlled from a remote location, or fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans using dynamic automation systems, or a combination of both. Autonomous systems can allow the aerial vehicle to fly outside a pre-programmed flight plan using on-board smart systems or artificial intelligence to adapt to unplanned changes in the vehicle's course and/or to handle broad instructions (e.g., fly from point A to point B with maximum fuel economy and no collisions).
One application of UAVs is reconnaissance for military or non-military operations. Reconnaissance UAVs are able to transmit data, such as video data, to remote locations and/or to each other. These reconnaissance UAVs can be rather small to avoid detection and for cost effectiveness. UAVs may have fixed wings or one or more rotors. Modern UAVs may travel across large distances. Hence, the communication systems for the UAVs need to be able to support long-distance communication that is beyond a small local region, including avionic control communication and surveillance data transfer.
Conventional high gain antennae (e.g., electronically steered antennae) require a large vertical cross section in order to achieve 360° of coverage. Such a large vertical cross section can adversely impact the aerodynamic performance of the UAVs by creating unwanted drag. In addition, these antennae can be heavy, complex, and expensive. This presents a size, weight, and power (SWAP) problem for small airborne platforms like Tier 2 UAVs. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for improved UAV communications.
The Figures depict various embodiments of the present technology for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that other embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the technology described herein.